Perrin overcomes huge deficit to beat Bryson

BRYSON – If your coach can’t get ejected, a fan is the next best thing.

Bryson seemed to be on the edge of an upset Friday night, leading country rival Perrin 43-29 heading into the fourth quarter. Perrin Coach Todd McCormick, who had received a technical foul in the first half as Perrin took the lead tried everything to motivate his team, which was flat throughout the night but had shown signs of life in the third quarter.

Early in the final stanza, one of the Pirate faithful was ejected from the gym. That proved to be enough as Perrin took control mid quarter and Bryson was unable to comeback in a 59-56 Perrin win.

Perrin is 2-1 in district and 17-2 overall. Bryson slips to 1-2 and 6-8.

McCormick said he was trying anything and everything to fire his team up, including, the possibility of getting ejected to get his kids excited.

“I couldn’t figure out why we were just flat tonight,” McCormick explained. “You have to give credit to Bryson. They were intense tonight and their fans got after it.”

Bryson led 43-29 heading into the fourth quarter, Perrin able to cut seven points off the halftime deficit in the third. Keaton Burke and Wyatt Keeney buried shots from outside while while Michael Goodman had a pair of buckets inside to bring the deficit within six with 5:20 remaining.

After the fan ejection, three-pointers by Kolby Burke and Goodman along with inside buckets via Wyatt Keeney andGoodman put Perrin up for the first time 48-47 midway through the fourth. Perrin went up four but a pair of Zander Tinney three-pointers got the squad within two 55-53. Perrin went into a delay with under two minutes and Goodman hit his free throws down the stretch. to put the Pirates up six. Tinney had a three-pointer with just under five ticks left but it wasn’t enough.

It was a heartbreaking loss for the Cowboys at home, Perrin missed all of its first quarter shots while the Cowboys hit 47 percent of theirs (8-17) to take an 18-4 lead. Tinney had eight points in the frame as most of the damage was done inside but Grayson Allen buried a three-pointer from outside.

Perrin finally got its first bucket from Goodman early in the second. Bryson’s Landon Stephens and some help from Drake Huffman helped the hosts take a 34-13 lead at the half. Perrin showed signs of things to come with Keeney and Burke three-pointers to bring the deficit to 11 along with buckets by Tyler Welch and Tyce Lambert in the first two minutes of the half.

Goodman had 16 points and Burke 11 for the Pirates. Tinney had 26 points and Stephens 20 in a losing effort.